Professor Ezekiel Olusola Ayoola, a former head of the Department of Mathematics, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, has explained why Aminu Othman Zubairu, a former lecturer of the university who died last week under circumstances suspected to be suicide, spent more than two decades on his PhD programme without completing it.

According to Ayoola, when the PhD work of Zubairu dragged on for many years, the postgraduate committee asked him questions. He said Zubairu exonerated his supervisor, putting the blame on himself for his dissatisfaction with the level of results he had obtained

He also described Zubairu as “a kind of perfectionist who possibly was eyeing some mathematics laureate at the doctoral level”.

Ayoola made the comments on Monday after Samuel Edet, an alumnus of the department, put up a Facebook post blaming the institution for Zubairu’s PhD travails.

“I knew Aminu Othman Zubairu, he was my algebraic topology lecturer. There is no question as to the depth of his understanding of his field. He was an astounding teacher, a good examiner, a good-hearted easy-going man, and one you can reliably have a conversation with,” Edet had written.

“I remember at some point during my undergraduate thesis, he was very supportive, always meeting during early hours of the day in his office to talk about possible areas of my thesis I could explore, despite not being my supervisor. I hope his children grow up with the understanding that their father was a genius. A genius with an unwavering principle, that could not be dwarfed by a shameful system, an inept institution and a culture of mediocrity.

“A genius who did not believe in the subjugating mantra of untoward ‘Patient, Humility and 'Dobale' in exchange for PHD." Let the University of Ibadan know that an institution that glorifies itself in mediocrity is a danger not just to itself but also to the society. Spending 22 years or any other insane number of years working towards a doctorate degree is not a marker of a sane intellectual community.”

In response, Ayoola wrote:

“I feel so sad reading this post by one of our former mathematics students describing our university as a shameful system, an inept institution with a culture of mediocrity. So, so sad. Never in all the 70 years that UI has been in existence even with Mathematics department being a foundation department of the university had someone described our institution that way. The statement is full of contradictions itself.

“An institution full of mediocre as alleged will not harbour academic staff whose recommendation would be accepted in support of admission of her former students outside the country. I know Samuel Edet must have been a beneficiary of such recommendations. It was so unfortunate that Mr. Zubairu died that way.

“He came to the department sometime in the year 1992 for a Master’s degree from Bayero University and did well in our programme in Ibadan. That qualified him to be appointed an Assistant Lecturer. We believe so much in merit and openness that he was appointed without any culture of DOBALE as Edet put it. He was subsequently recommended for ICTP diploma programme in Italy, which he completed in 1995 and came back to resume his job and his PhD studies. He was attached to one of the best African professors of Algebraic Topology, an Oxford-trained unbiased professor who would not hurt a fly, the professor that had produced many PhD holders who are themselves professors in many universities in Nigeria and abroad.

“However, the PhD work of Mr. Zubairu dragged on for many years, leading to the postgraduate committee asking questions at some point. Mr. Zubairu exonerated the supervisor, putting the blame on himself for not being satisfied with the level of results he had obtained. I was the Head of Department at that time. I am a Christian and a pastor, I will never lie against the dead. Of course, the supervisor could not be forcing the student to write up when the student himself was not ready. So he had to re-apply for admission at the PG school on many occasions, having failed to satisfy the maximum years to be on the programme on many occasions.

“Some of us intervened on many occasions without success. Zubairu was a kind of a perfectionist who possibly was eyeing some mathematics laureate at the doctoral level. There was nothing any one can do on that occasion. The university was even magnanimous by allowing him to stay on the programme for that long. There were many opportunities for doctoral studies abroad which he did not take advantage of. His case was strange.

“Then the issue of his family dispute cropped in. He eventually resigned his appointment in protest against the deduction of his salary as ordered by a competent court for his children and family care in May 2017. The department again intervened by persuading him to have a second thought. The legal department and the highest administration in the university intervened without success. So sad. He kept on living in the university apartment for almost two years after his resignation. The cause of the strange fire is still subject to university enquiry.”

Zubairu's body was discovered at his staff quarters located on Phillipson Road last Tuesday, with his body covered with thick smoke from a fire. He was rushed to 'Jaja', as the university's clinic is widely known, and subsequently transferred to the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, where he died the following morning.

This is what I received from someone so I don't know who to believe.Copied:I just read, with shock, that a University of Ibadan lecturer in Mathematics Dept. has taken his life, primarily because he had spent 22 years on his PhD programme without a headway, because his professors were insensitive and saw the delay as normal. This is the practice in most public universities, my alma mater, UI being no exception.

My office roommate back in UI (thankfully, now a professor) was on his PhD for 11 years before finally bagging the elusive degree. He was ready long before the time, but the system (particularly his supervisor) wasn't ready for him. He had aged a bit before eventually earning this feat.

This irresponsible practice takes no one, no where. It shortchanges the student, department and university. It shortchanges the supervisor too, as he ends up having low or no credits in his PhD supervision experience or production of PhDs. No one wins when PhD students are unduly delayed. In the process of keeping students on their PhD programme for too long, for no tangible reason, other than "that's the culture", or for them to "mature", or to go through what they, the older professors had gone through as doctoral students during their time, the whole university system remains and suffers at a mediocre level.

I strongly condemn the process that led to the sad incident at UI. I belong to the generation of senior scholars that will support every hardworking PhD student to make rapid and legitimate progress. We celebrate people's progress and success here. Let every professor leading their students to suicide by their unethical and wicked act of delaying them in their academic programme learn from this regrettable Ibadan episode and do their job professionally and with the fear of God.

I know someone will come here and start defending the contagious university system which in the first place may have engineered the late man's family problem. Shame to some Nigerian universities which at best can pass for burial ground for destinies.

asuustrike1:This is what I received from someone so I don't know who to believe.Copied:I just read, with shock, that a University of Ibadan lecturer in Mathematics Dept. has taken his life, primarily because he had spent 22 years on his PhD programme without a headway, because his professors were insensitive and saw the delay as normal. This is the practice in most public universities, my alma mater, UI being no exception.

My office roommate back in UI (thankfully, now a professor) was on his PhD for 11 years before finally bagging the elusive degree. He was ready long before the time, but the system (particularly his supervisor) wasn't ready for him. He had aged a bit before eventually earning this feat.

This irresponsible practice takes no one, no where. It shortchanges the student, department and university. It shortchanges the supervisor too, as he ends up having low or no credits in his PhD supervision experience or production of PhDs. No one wins when PhD students are unduly delayed. In the process of keeping students on their PhD programme for too long, for no tangible reason, other than "that's the culture", or for them to "mature", or to go through what they, the older professors had gone through as doctoral students during their time, the whole university system remains and suffers at a mediocre level.

I strongly condemn the process that led to the sad incident at UI. I belong to the generation of senior scholars that will support every hardworking PhD student to make rapid and legitimate progress. We celebrate people's progress and success here. Let every professor leading their students to suicide by their unethical and wicked act of delaying them in their academic programme learn from this regrettable Ibadan episode and do their job professionally and with the fear of God.

Prof Sheriff FolarinCovenant University

That is what it should be. Some old fashioned lecturers derive joy in subjugating younger scholars, as if they will grow older by drinking intellectual blood.

If I get the first poster right (OP), he kept repeating a particular stage of his PHD because he was trying to make his performance a perfect one. That doesn't make much sense except his village people are on par with Lionel Messi and CR7.

These people should quit talking on the subject matter and let the matter die a natural death. No matter the sort of explanation you give people, they would term it as 'cover up' and some certain people as 'vindictive'.

There's no lecturer in my department that is without a PhD. And the youngest lecturer, who happens to be someone I hold in high esteem, had his B.A in 2007. He bagged his PhD in 2015. Between 2007 and 2015, he went to nysc and had his MSc in between. So it's not that bad. What is in PhD that someone would spend 22 years on?

Another dept I know that has a lecturer without a PhD is due to some reasons which I can't talk about online. He willingly agreed to that though and his promotions will be backdated once his PhD is approved.

The report says he had family issues and he has been living in the university staff quarters even without being a staff for the past two years. But some people are still convinced that his inability to get a PhD killed him.

A.O Zubair is the most brilliant person I've ever come across. He taught me Abstract Algebra in 200 level and Reimann Integral in 300 level. I never missed any of his classes because he made the most complex mathematics look like a piece of cake. UI really lost a rare gem. RIP AOZ!

Akby:A.O Zubair is the most brilliant person I've ever come across. He taught me Abstract Algebra in 200 level and Reimann Integral in 300 level. I never missed any of his classes because he made the most complex mathematics look like a piece of cake. UI really lost a rare gem. RIP AOZ!

Some of these old Professors who perpetrate this act of wickedness were the beneficiaries of government scholarships to study abroad when the country was saner. No conscience whatsoever.That is why no one celebrates them when they are old and retired. They just die and are forgotten.Old f@rts!

CodeTemplar:If I get the first poster right (OP), he kept repeating a particular stage of his PHD because he was trying to make his performance a perfect on. That doesn't make much sense except his village people are on par with Lionel Messi and CR7.

Try to make one's PhD perfect and delaying one's self for 22yrs is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Even if Zubair was trying to win a maths award, he could have gotten his PhD and then released a paper afterwards. This does not make an iota of sense.

Try to point out the flaws of the police force, police men will start getting defensive and start talking like the police is full of integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all. Try to point out the sexual harassment in the medical community, doctors and nurses will start getting defensive and start talking like the medical community is perfect in integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all. Try to point our the flaws in university system, especially the bullying and sadism by academic staffs, the staff will start getting defensive and start talking like the university is full of integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all.

Akby:A.O Zubair is the most brilliant person I've ever come across. He taught me Abstract Algebra in 200 level and Reimann Integral in 300 level. I never missed any of his classes because he made the most complex mathematics look like a piece of cake. UI really lost a rare gem. RIP AOZ!

But why didn't he leave? Why would a genius who can find employment elsewhere endure such suffering?

Martinez39: Try to make one's PhD perfect and delaying one's self for 22yrs is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Even if Zubair was trying to win a maths award, he could have gotten his PhD and then released a paper afterwards. This does not make an iota of sense.

Try to point out the flaws of the police force, police men will start getting defensive and start talking like the police is full of integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all. Try to point out the sexual harassment in the medical community, doctors and nurses will start getting defensive and start talking like the medical community is perfect in integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all. Try to point our the flaws in university system, especially the bullying and sadism by academic staffs, the staff will start getting defensive and start talking like the university is full of integrity and the bad eggs are a very negligible minority or non-existent at all.

I don't believe a damn of what this lecturer is saying.

We live in a cult like society. Even bankers will defend an erring banker.

There is nothing wrong about his suicide. He had one mission and one mission alone. To defeat Mathematics and he failed at it and decided that it is time he quits the matrix.

We should rather be thankful for his sincerity of purpose, in quitting when he failed and not blaming others for his inability to win and above all, for his steadfastness in using his brains and brains alone, not his coins, not his loins and definitely not onions.

Real souls do not die, we simply change the vehicle. There is no point to wish his Soul to rest in Peace. Peace is illusion, he is everywhere as Numbers and Maths in the Universe. We all are.

CosmoDroid:There is nothing wrong about his suicide. He had one mission and one mission alone. To defeat Mathematics and he failed at it and decided that it is time he quits the matrix.

We should rather be thankful for his sincerity of purpose, in quitting when he failed and not blaming others for his inability to win and above all, for his steadfastness in using his brains and brains alone, not his coins, not his loins and definitely not onions.

Real souls do not die, we simply change the vehicle. There is no point to wish his Soul to rest in Peace. Peace is illusion, he is everywhere as Numbers and Maths in the Universe. We all are.

CosmoDroid:There is nothing wrong about his suicide. He had one mission and one mission alone. To defeat Mathematics and he failed at it and decided that it is time he quits the matrix.

We should rather be thankful for his sincerity of purpose, in quitting when he failed and not blaming others for his inability to win and above all, for his steadfastness in using his brains and brains alone, not his coins, not his loins and definitely not onions.

Real souls do not die, we simply change the vehicle. There is no point to wish his Soul to rest in Peace. Peace is illusion, he is everywhere as Numbers and Maths in the Universe. We all are.

You can't even explain the reason for the current heatwaves and you are here talking jargon. Will you keep kwaeti

He taught me algebra in 200level ...and I can say for a fact that he is the smartest lecturer in maths department... Better than those profs ...there were so many conspiracies against that guy.......If you're a genius please don't join Nigeria academia. ....there is also a genetic scientist in zoology department of ui.. But ui refused to recognise his PhD because he didn't receive his PhD from ui but from UK......the reason is dt he had to convert his PhD to ui standard... This said man is about the best geneticist in Nigeria.